Drop-door-operating mechanism.



' R. R. WEAVER.

DROP DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9,1916.

VENTOR Wm/ ltorneys W] NESSES R. R. WEAVER.

DROP DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

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[NVENTOR R. R. WEAVER.

DROP DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION F|LE\D NOV. 9'. 191a.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

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ROBERT E. WEAVER, F COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE RALSTON' STEEL CAR COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

DROP-DOOB-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed November 9, 1916.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that 1, ROBERT R. WEAVER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drop- Door-Operating Mechanism, and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in door operating mechanism, and more particularly to such as is adapted for use 1n operating the drop doors of hopper bottom cars,one object of the invention being to provide simple and efiicient door operating mechanism which shall be particularly adapted for use on cars in which the space for the accommodation of such mechanism is limited, as on cars in which the center sill and hood are low.

A further object is to provide door operating mechanism for hopper bottom cars, which shall be compact in structure; comprise a comparatively few operating parts, and which shall be operable through space of minimum dimensions.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a partial sectional view of a car showing the door operating mechanism in elevation, with the doors closed; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the positions of the parts when the door are open; Fig. 3 is a View showing the positions of the lever mechanism when the doors are closed; Fig. 4 is a plan view; Fig. 5 is a partial transverse sectional view of a car showing the appllcatlon of my improvements thereto; Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the combined sheave or sprocket wheel and crank arm, and Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the lockmg devices.

1,1, represents the center sllls nd 2 a portion of the hopper bottom of a car,doors 3 being provided for closing the outlet openings of said hopper bottom at respec tive sides of thehood 4. These doors are connected by hinges 5 with the hopper at opposite edges of the outlet opening and may be provided at, or near them: free edges Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

Serial No. 130,426.

serve to receive a short shaft 8 disposed between said center sills. The hub or bearing member 9 of a sheave or sprocket wheel 10 is mounted on the shaft 8, and this sheave and hub also carry a crank arm which, in present instance, comprises two members 11 and 12 suitably paced apart. One end of a lever 13 is pivotally connected with the crank arm 1112 and to the other end of this lever, the laterally projecting or hook shaped ends 1 1, 15 of connecting rods or bars 16, 17 are pivotally connected by means of a suitable pivot pin 18. The other ends of the connecting rods 16, 17 are made with threadedsockets 19 to receive the threaded shanks 20 of pivot pins 21, the latter being pivotally connected with the doors through the medium of uitable brackets. 22 secured to the reinforcing channels 6. The intermediate portion of the lever 13 is enlarged to form a shoulder 23 for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The sheave or sprocket wheel 10 receives motion from a chain 24 and the latter may be driven by a smaller sheave or sprocket wheel 25 carried by a manually operable shaft 26. This shaft is mounted in suitable bearing brackets 27 secured to the center sills 1 and extends to one side of the car where a bracket 28 is provided which affords a bearing for said shaft. The operating shaft 26 may projectsomewhat beyond the side of the car or beyond the side of the hopper bottom as indicated at 29, where it may be made angular for the reception of a manually operable crank or lever, not shown. In order to lock the operating shaft 26, a ratchet wheel 30 is secured thereto and this wheel is engaged by a pawl 31 pivoted to the bracket 28. The pawl 31 is provided with a tail 32 projecting rearwardly beyond its pivoted support and this tail is normally engaged by a manually operable cam 33 mounted on the bracket 28, for the purpose of locking said pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel.

Assume now, that the doors are open as shown in Fig. 2 and it is desired to close them. The operator Will rotate the shaft 26 and thus cause motion to be imparted to the sheave so as to turn the latter clock- Wise, as viewed on Figs. 1 and 2 of the draWin This Will cause the crank arm 1l12 to turn, thusraising the lever 13, the connecting rods or bars 16, 17 and the doors. Su'ch'rais'ing of the doors by the direct action of the crank arm 1112 acting as -a lever, Will continue until the lever 13 engages the hub 9. Asthe crank continues to -m0've during'the turning of the sheave 10,

the lever 13 Will turn on the hub 9 as its fulcrum, and the continued closing move ment of the doors will be assisted by the leverage afforded by the turning of'tlie lever 13 on the hub 9. The parts will continue to move as above described until the doors shall have reached their closed positions, as shown in Fig. 1,Wnen the crank arm shall I have made somewhat less than a complete topics or this vpatent may be obtained for tions above described, will permit the doors to open.

Various changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention Without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hence I do not Wish to restrict myself to the precise details herein set forth.

Having fu-lly'desci'ibed my invention What- I claim'as new and desire to secureby Letters-Patent, is: I

The combination With a car and drop doors hinged thereto, of a shaft mounted'on the car, a Wheel having a hub mounted on said shaft, a crank rigid with said Wheel and hub, a lever pivoted at one'en'd to said crank and having a shoulder to engage said hub, and connecting devices :pivotally attached to the other end of said lever and having pivotal connection with the drop doors.

In testimony whereof, I ha-vesigned this specification in the presence of two'subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT \VEAVER. Witnesses:

F. Cov'vcnn, FRANK BOWEN.

five cents each. byadfir'essing the Commissioner of @atente,

Washington, D. G. 

